Focus and Narrow the Professional Learning Path

In this age of ready information, our professional learning path has the potential to be very broad and full. Yet when we spread ourselves too thin, our work may not be as good. Finding that right balance of professional learning is vital to your work and sense of confidence and pride too. Optimal work makes us feel good and affects others with strength as well.

As I consider the professional learning path ahead, I'm thinking about the areas I want to delve into in order to develop my teaching/learning. I'm also thinking about the many venues out there for learning. What will I choose?

This year I spent a lot of money on professional learning and I won't be able to do that next year so I'll be looking for low cost options--options such as in-house professional learning, local edcamps, online share, and book study.

Specifically, I plan to include the following in the 2015-2016 professional learning path:

• revisit/revise work related to reflection to present at this summer's MTA summer conference.
• revisit learning design, coding, and creativity for Wayland Institute presentations.
• read, research, design, and develop the learning/teaching map and materials for next year's assignment.
• regular participation in #edchat and #satchat
• systemwide summer work related to next year's assignment
• grade-level and/or subject area systemwide teamwork
• school year focus on creating a dynamic, inclusive, collaborative learning community by modeling and fostering learning-to-learn mindsets, routines, and behaviors.
• attendance at one or two edcamps and possibly conferences/workshops promoted and supported by the school system.

What plans do you have for professional learning in the year ahead? Making plans now can help you to plan for the dates, funds, and opportunities to present. This lead time will also help you to strategically navigate your teaching/learning path too.

Reflections on the Math Year 2015

Today at our PLC, a review of the math year was suggested.

I wasn't ready for that as I'm waiting to hear about the State decisions related to standardized testing for next year and I also want to see our students' results. I'm wondering how they fared on this year's PARCC tests.

When the scores come in, I'll carefully look at the questions and then assess students' results. Since I know what we did in the classroom, I'll be able to compare time, focus, and approach with results on specific questions by specific students. I'm also curious as to the growth score algorithm the State will use to look at student progress with regard to this year's PARCC tests and last year's MCAS, and I want to hear how the leaders in my school system react to the tests too. What will be their assessment of the test results and how will that impact their goal setting for the year to come?

Also since I don't know my assignment for next year, I wasn't ready to think too deeply about the year ahead. Yet as a fan of analysis and assessment, I do think it's good to do an end-of-the-year review of curriculum efforts, and in that spirit, I have the following thoughts.

First, I really liked starting the year with making the number quilt. It was a great way to review students' number skills and create a great resource for classroom learning and endeavor. I think it works well to start the math year with a comprehensive, differentiated project that includes both review and new learning.

I also thought that starting the year with measurement and order of operations gave students number processes and facts to study and use throughout the year as we learned more about standards related to computation, fractions, coordinate grids, and geometry. Also learning measurement early allows us to integrate that knowledge into science exploration and study as well.

I also felt that the depth and breadth of early-year standards based tests helped to prepare students for later year standardized tests and projects. Starting strong when students' energy and enthusiasm for learning is high lays a good path for the learning year.

I was happy with the way the math class was blended too. We used multiple online and offline resources and strategies. That made math class interesting and productive. The use of the Magnificent Math class website supported student learning too.

The system-wide math website, RTI work, and RTI protocols also supported the teaching and learning this year as well.

The areas of the math year that I'd like to reconsider include the following:

• Start RTI earlier and increase support for our most challenged math learners to five times a week. 
• Assess students' overall skills and performance during the first two weeks of the school year.
• Realign assessment patterns so that we don't have as many big tests altogether leaving more time for differentiated, standards-based, deep project work particularly in the late winter/spring time frame where we had too many tests positioned together.
• Include more coding with math work.
• Scaffold the teaching and assessment for the most challenged math students more so they don't become discouraged and so they can see the progress they make explicitly often. 
• Stay in communication more with the parents of challenged math students. 
• Increase the time with regard to fraction study and focus, and perhaps begin the year with a big fractions project because fractions are typically taught in the busy weeks of late winter and spring which are often interrupted with other events. 
• Create a more scaffolded common assessment so that students who struggle do not become as discouraged as they did this year taking a test that was beyond their current ability level. 

When the tests come in, I want to note the following:

• Areas where most of my students did well and areas where most of my students did not do well.
• How my students scored in comparison to my colleagues' students--were our scores similar or did we differ in some areas?
• I'd like to research more about the areas where colleagues' students, in general, did better than my students so that I can learn more strategies. Of course, when I look at scores, I'll consider colleagues' students and class profiles since we tend to know each others' students well through our PLC discussions and data share.

Once I know my assignment, my students, and results of last year's overall efforts, I'll have a better sense of where I'd like to take next year's math program, but in the meantime, these are my math program thoughts at this time. 

End of the School Year: Relationships Matter More Than Ever!

It's the last leg of school and relationships matter more than ever. As students and teachers approach transitions in their lives, they rely on good relationships to see them through the changes.

Some students exhibit angst at the end of the year, and it's more important than ever to keep the routines simple and straightforward.

It's also important to balance end-of-year-celebrations with quiet reading, writing, and tinker times--time to quietly learn with one another and independently.

Some of the students I am teaching this year I have taught for two years. I really want to maximize these last days of learning together with plenty of time for discussion and happy events.

The end-of-school is a good time to slow it down and focus on the human factor so every child leaves the year with a big smile and positive anticipation for the year to come.

Science Learning: Rich Experiential Units Matter

This week, students and I have been reviewing the K-5 science facts and concepts in preparation for the State's upcoming MCAS tests. I've noticed that students remember well the past learning that was included in rich, experiential units such as the life cycle of frogs/butterflies/chicks, rocks and minerals, maple sugaring, and circuits.

Where rich, experiential units that included a multi-sensory approach with lots of time for exploration and repeated discussion and learning did not exist, there was less knowledge.

This demonstrates to me once again that our time as educators needs to be spent on collaborative, learning design. Design that is well-researched and benefits from the experiences and knowledge of all members of the learning team.

As the Wayland Public Schools science site states, "The program design should reflect an understanding of child development and the stages of intellectual growth. In elementary school, students are in the concrete stage of thinking. Therefore, activities should be largely direct experiences."

What's Most Important?

What are the most important teaching targets at your grade level or subject area?

If you and your colleagues had to make a list of the five most important teaching/learning goals, what would they be?

How would your list compare to the list of other grade levels or subject areas?

If I had to make the list for fifth grade, these are the five top areas I'd include:

• Read books, articles, and other literature of choice everyday for one hour alone, w/friends, or with teachers. Focus on critical thinking skills, then share and reflect on what you learn/experience in meaningful ways. 
• Compose with words, speech, and multimedia tools everyday for one hour independently, w/friends, or with teachers. Focus on communication skills. 
• Learn math in active, hands-on ways everyday for one and one-half hours. Focus on blended learning strategies, coding, precision, stamina, and problem solving. 
• Study science and social studies with meaningful, hands-on, collaborative, interdisciplinary units each week. Focus on content knowledge, teamwork, character, and contribution via service learning. 
• Engage in specialist learning that develops students' ability in the arts and wellness for one hour a day. 

How would your choices differ from this? What is the rationale behind your choices?